Hi there, I’m Aarti, Founder and Lead Counsellor at Incontact. Welcome to the 25th edition of 1-1-2 Inspire, where we bring you one story, one insight, and two tools to elevate your work and life.
This month feels special. Singapore celebrates its birthday, and so do we.
Nine years of Incontact. Nine years of listening, holding space, and being part of people’s stories.
When I look back, I feel deeply privileged. How many people can say they get to do what feels like a natural instinct every day? To sit with others in their hardest seasons, and witness the courage it takes to grow?
But this milestone is not just about me. It’s about every counsellor who has walked through our doors, each carrying a powerful personal story. It’s about the resilience of the clients we serve, the trust of the organisations we partner with, and the community that has grown with us.
Nine years may not sound like much in some industries. But in mental health — where change is rapid, needed, and deeply human — it feels like a lifetime.
When we began in 2016, mental health wasn’t a mainstream conversation in Singapore. As counsellors, we weren’t just serving clients. We were educating, advocating, and creating safe spaces where silence had been the norm.
Today, things look different. Mental health is part of public policy, workplace wellness, and everyday dialogue. There is still stigma, yes — but far less silence. And we feel privileged to have witnessed and contributed to this shift.
Over these years, Incontact has:
Through all this, what has kept us grounded is our identity as a boutique practice. In a field where large, investor-funded organisations are expanding rapidly, we’ve stayed true to what sets us apart: bespoke, human care.
“What has kept us grounded is our identity as a boutique practice. That’s what our clients acknowledge and appreciate the most.”
Looking ahead, we know there are still gaps — in perinatal mental health, in addiction support, in systemic, mind–body approaches. These are places we want to step into with care, courage, and collaboration.
Keeping an organisation like Incontact alive and thriving has required adaptation I never imagined.
I’ve had to step into operational roles I didn’t think I was built for. Learn to mentor with more patience. Stretch into areas I wasn’t comfortable in. And above all, keep evolving alongside the people I work with.
The truth is: care doesn’t stand still. Neither can those of us who offer it.
If I’ve learned anything in nine years, it’s that resilience isn’t just surviving the changes—it’s growing with them.
See change as a companion, not an intruder.
When we resist change, we make it heavier.
Instead, ask: What is this season asking me to learn?
This reframe doesn’t erase the difficulty, but it allows growth to enter.
Honour the threads that don’t change
In every season of Incontact, one thing has remained constant: the heart of our work is listening.
Find your thread — the value, practice, or belief that stays steady. Let it anchor you when everything else is shifting.
Nine years on, some faces have changed, but the mission has only grown stronger.
I’m proud of the resilience we’ve built, the community we’ve nurtured, and the lives we’ve touched. And I feel immense gratitude—for my colleagues, for our clients, for Singapore’s evolving story of mental health. 🙏 ❤️
Most of all, I feel grateful for the many stories still to come.
Warm wishes,
Aarti